IEPA 2012

The primary focus of interest in UHR research has traditionally been transition to psychotic disorder within 1-2 years of entry. However, there may be UHR cases who transition after this period and these cases may have different characteristics to those who transition more quickly. In this study we aimed to investigate length of prodrome in cases with poor compared to cases with average/good functional outcome. Method We followed up 416 UHR cases from the PACE clinic, Melbourne 2.4-14.9 years after entry.

Relatively little research has explored insight in patients with first-episode psychosis, though insight is a crucial factor influencing engagement, adherence, and outcomes. We examined correlates of insight in a large, well-characterized sample of hospitalized, urban, socially disadvantaged, predominantly African American first-episode patients. Insight was assessed using the researcher-rated insight/judgment item of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, as well as the self-report Birchwood Insight Scale.

Background. Increased glutamate levels in the associative-striatum have been described in subjects at ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR); nevertheless, it is unclear whether this abnormality could predict the conversion to psychosis. Methods. Nineteen subjects at UHR and twenty-six controls were included. At inclusion (baseline), subjects underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), using a point resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) acquisition (TE=35ms, TR=2000ms, spectral width=5000 Hz) in the right dorsal caudate. The 1H-MRS studies were performed on a 3T GE scanner.

Introduction: Transition is increasingly recognised as an important issue for young people suffering with mental health problems. Poor transition planning may result in a range of adverse outcomes. Early intervention services (EIS) in the UK are explicitly required to address transition planning as part of their development and implementation; however there is a lack of evidence to support the development of any one particular model. This study therefore aimed to explore the influences affecting working at the interface between CAMHS and EIS in England.

Vocational recovery has been consistently shown to be a number one priority of people with mental illness generally, and schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis (FEP) specifically. Two previous randomised controlled trials (RCT) demonstrated the benefit of an employment intervention called Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for young people with FEP. The current study was conducted in order to examine not only the vocational benefits of such an approach, but to study a wide range of predictors and consequences of vocational recovery in FEP.

The relationship between weight gain and the treatment of first episode psychosis (FEP) with psychotropic medication has been well established, with obesity and metabolic syndrome common sequelae. Such metabolic abnormalities create further disease burden on a population already dealing with mental illness, whose life expectancy is approximately 20 years less than the general population, primarily due to cardiovascular complications.

The EPISODE II study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a combined individual and family-based psychosocial intervention for the purpose of preventing relapse in young first-episode patients who have reached remission on positive psychotic symptoms. Patient participants were recruited from the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre and Barwon Health, Victoria Australia and randomised either to the relapse prevention therapy plus specialist first-episode treatment or to specialist treatment alone.